The Leaf Label

15/11/2024

Week forty-four of THE GREAT LEAF SALE comes courtesy of Clue To Kalo.

One Way, It’s Every Way is the second album by Adelaide’s Mark Mitchell, released in 2005. As with his debut Come Here When You Sleepwalk (GREAT LEAF SALE #15), Mitchell was exploring the possibilities that home computers were opening up for musicians at the time, while never taking his eye off the art of song writing. It’s an ambitious record of psychedelia infused electronica - each track bursting with ideas, warmth, melody and left-turns. In another life, it was enormous.

One Way, It’s Every Way is discounted on CD, LP and digital until November 17th.

🔗 bio

12/11/2024

It’s time for another taste of Decius Vol. II (Splendour & Obedience)...

'Birth Of A Smirk' is taken from Decius' second album, Decius Vol. II (Splendour & Obedience) Released 31 January 2025. Pre-Order 2LP+/2LP/CD/DL: https://the...

05/11/2024

It’s week forty-three of THE GREAT LEAF SALE, and time to re-visit Bourne at his most elegant.

On 2017’s Isotach, skeletal piano motifs, an aching use of space and sparing cello arrangements are deployed to devastating effect. Recorded in his rural Yorkshire home, Bourne’s piano placed to overlook the moors while he worked, the album title is a nod to the weather, which played a part in its creation. The recordings took place during what Bourne described as “extreme weather”. If you listen carefully you can hear the wind and rain picked up on the microphones, the sparse instrumentation providing the calm in the eye of the storm.

The title track kicks off proceedings, having originally been conceived for the very first Piano Day in 2015. Nils Frahm had asked for a contribution, to which Bourne agreed and promptly forgot. ‘Isotach’ was written and recorded with a single microphone, the night before Piano Day. There’s nothing like leaving your homework until the last minute to focus the mind.

Isotach is reduced on LP, CD and digital until November 10th.

The Leaf Label recordings bundle is also reduced accordingly.

🔗 bio

29/10/2024

This time five years ago, we were preparing to release an album loosely based on slowly poisoning your co-workers. And the rest is history. It’s week forty-one of THE GREAT LEAF SALE!

Warmduscher’s third album, Tainted Lunch, will celebrate its fifth birthday on Friday. It features Iggy Pop and Kool Keith, funk, punk, hip-hop and lounge rock and the full cast of shady characters we’ve come to know and love from the Clams universe. Ideal for the Halloween school disco.

Duscher continue to go from strength to strength. A dish best served live, and they have plenty of live dates coming up. New album, Too Cold To Hold, is just around the corner. Picking up a Tainted Lunch bargain would be the perfect warm-up.

Tainted Lunch is discounted on LP, CD and digital until November 3rd.

The Leaf album bundle is also discounted.

See bio for details.

25/10/2024

Craven Faults' Bounds is out now. Your perfect autumn/winter companion.

Listen:

Choose your preferred music service

23/10/2024

Tune in...

Scenes from Bounds. Released 25.10.24Pre-order/pre-save: https://theleaflabel.net/cfbounds.OYDhttps://cravenfaults.comhttps://cravenfaults.bandcamp.com00:00 ...

22/10/2024

It’s THE GREAT LEAF SALE week forty-one, and we’re back in the Triosk extended universe.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that Triosk’s debut celebrated its twentieth birthday, and now Be Still, the debut solo album by keyboardist/piano player Adrian Klumpes turns eighteen this week. There was something special going on in Sydney in those days.

Recorded in a single five-hour session, all the sounds were captured in the same room, with the same mics, using the same piano. Simultaneously premeditated and spontaneous, the recordings strive for an edgy tranquility.

“I wanted to capture three moments,” Klumpes explained. “Creation, performance and process. And each of these with a certain stillness.”

At the time we described the album as “like a Rothko canvas - minimal and introspective, yet rich and intense; a rush of colour from a deliberately limited palette.” Which shows exactly how high-brow we were and also gives you a good idea of what the record sounds like. You have to say, that was good work on our part.

The artwork by Clemens Habicht, who also did the design for the Triosk releases, brings us full circle to Laurence Pike’s latest album, The Undreamt-of Centre. There’s still something special going on in Sydney.

Be Still is discounted on CD and digital until October 27th.

See bio 🔗

14/10/2024

THE GREAT LEAF SALE week forty - while Efterklang are taking their latest album, Things We Have In Common, for a lap around Japan, let’s take a look through the Leaf history books.

As previously discussed in GREAT LEAF SALE lore, Eferklang don’t lack for ambition. Everything they’ve done as a group, goes above and beyond, and Performing Parades is a case in point. Here is a document of the band performing their 2007 album Parades in full, with the The Danish National Chamber Orchestra at the Koncerthuset in Copenhagen in front of a capacity audience – a live album/concert film with 50 musicians on stage in full Efterklang regalia. They really don’t do things by half.

It is fifteen years on Saturday since Performing Parades was released. Get your paper-cone hats out and party like it’s 2009.

07/10/2024

It’s week thirty-nine of THE GREAT LEAF SALE, and we’re into the home straight. We put our foot to the floor with Wildbirds & Peacedrums at full volume.

Rhythm is the work of husband and wife duo Mariam Wallentin and Andreas Werliin and followed Heartcore (2008), The Snake (2009) and Rivers (2010).

“We decided this should be our ‘going back to our roots’ album,” Wallentin explained at the time. “Which is drums and vocals. Except for a bass line here and there, that is what it is. Drums and voice. Rhythms. We wanted the record to sound as intense as our live shows, and as chaotic as the world around us.”

This was Wildbirds at their most lean and hungry. In stripping back, they discovered an unblinking directness and taut muscularity honed from years of intensive live performance.

Incredibly, this album will turn ten years old next month. If it proves to be the final Wildbirds album, it’s safe to say they went out on an absolute high. Mariam and Andreas are still making incredible music in various guises. It’s well worth investigating Fire! Orchestra and the Oren Ambarchi/Johan Berthling/Andreas Werliin trio releases, and as luck would have it, Mariam (The Believer) released a brand-new album on Friday entitled ‘Breathing Techniques’. Dive in.

Rhythm is discounted on LP, CD and digital until October 13th. The four album bundle and remaining T-shirts have also been reduced.

Link in bio.

04/10/2024

310

In memory of Joseph Dierker, who sadly passed away in April 2024, his longtime musical partner Tim Donovan has made the entire 310 Leaf catalogue available on Bandcamp for the first time, including the four albums and three EPs. The digital audio has been remastered in 24-bit glory, and CD and vinyl of most of the releases are also now available to order, many in very limited quantities.

Additionally, a new compilation of live recordings from this period was released yesterday, 3/10/24.

Bandcamp Friday would be a good time to investigate.

https://310music.bandcamp.com

MALCOLM PARDON - THE ABYSS PRINTS

Any order of Malcolm Pardon's new album, The Abyss, placed between now and Sunday, will be shipped with a 5x8.6” art print - while stocks last. There are ten designs in total, each featuring a still from the evocative video for 'Enter The Void', signed by Malcolm and video director Oskar Wrangö.

malcolmpardon.bandcamp.com/merch

SNAPPED ANKLES - SNAPT RAYVE T-SHIRTS

From the woodwose AW 2024 collection - limited to just 40 pieces, each one is unique and hand printed to order. Available to pre-order from 10am BST.

snappedankles.bandcamp.com/merch

CRAVEN FAULTS

Warehouse finds available from 10am BST.

- Standers (Limited edition Dark Fell green double vinyl LP + photobook)
- Standers (Limited edition 3CD boxset)
- Live Works (2x12") - minor sleeve damage
- Lowfold Reworks EP (12")

Bounds will be released October 25th. Pre-order now.

cravenfaults.bandcamp.com/merch

DECIUS

It's a good day to pre-order Decius Vol. II (Splendour & Obedience) and a new 'Affectus Totales' Decius T-shirt to wear while you're listening to Decius or washing the car. Make it so.

decius.bandcamp.com/merch

AND FINALLY - Polar Bear's Peepers album is our pick for week thirty-eight of THE GREAT LEAF SALE.

polarbearmusic.bandcamp.com/merch

30/09/2024

It’s week thirty-eight of THE GREAT LEAF SALE, and I think we all know what that means. That’s right, Polar Bear time.

Peepers is the first of three exquisite Polar Bear albums released on The Leaf Label - arriving in 2010, it followed 2004’s Dim Lit, 2005’s Mercury Prize-nominated Held On The Tips Of Fingers and 2008’s Polar Bear.

More so than on its predecessors, Peepers captured the live energy of the group at that time.
“The recording process was definitely different this time,” band leader Sebastian Rochford explained. “I wanted to record this album as raw and spontaneously as possible with us just setting up in a room and playing, with no separation or headphones. I thought this would alter the way we played together in the studio, hearing how the tone of our instruments blended naturally like we do in rehearsals or gigs.”

For many groups, this back-to-basics recording approach may have signalled a straighter record, but the virtuosic ensemble of Rochford, Pete Wareham, Mark Lockheart, Tom Herbert and Leafcutter John has always been drawn to pushing the envelope. Leafcutter John’s interjections of electronics, noise and even a balloon solo are a case in point.

Peepers is discounted on limited edition white vinyl, CD and digital until October 6th.

The seven-album bundle has also been reduced accordingly.

Link in bio.

25/09/2024

Week thirty-seven of THE GREAT LEAF SALE comes courtesy of Nancy Elizabeth, whose debut album Battle and Victory turns 17 this week.

Recorded in a 17th Century white stone cottage in the remote Welsh countryside, and a village hall outside Manchester which resulted in an intimate, uncontrived gem of a record. Using a minimum of recording equipment, the heartfelt honesty of her songs are revealed. The 22-string Celtic harp is the cornerstone of the album, it also features guitar, khim, harmonium, Appalachian dulcimer and bouzouki plus turns from friends on cello and horns.

Battle and Victory is discounted on LP, CD and digital until September 29th (last few vinyl copies).

There are also new LP, CD and digital album bundles available.

Link in bio.

20/09/2024

Malcolm Pardon’s new album, The Abyss is out now.

The Abyss is available on limited edition ‘Pool Party’ splatter vinyl LP (350 copies), black vinyl LP, limited CD (500 copies) and digital.

Enter The Void.

By
Artwork by
Photo by

🖤

18/09/2024

Decius are back back back!

You know you want to...

16/09/2024

Week thirty-six of THE GREAT LEAF SALE is for celebrating the elastic rock and roll of volcano!

Second album Paperwork turns 16 this week. It followed their 2006 debut album Beautiful Seizure, and offered a more focussed version of the volcano! sound. ‘Focussed’ and ‘streamlined’ are all relative where this Chicago trio are concerned, Paperwork was no less thrilling or dissonant, but it left room for Aaron With’s vocals to reach a new level of fervour, and for the rhythm section to move some feet.

It’s well worth looking up the video for ‘Africa Just Wants To Have Fun’ – a takedown of pop stars and their saviour complexes played out in a biblical rainstorm.

Paperwork is discounted on CD and digital until September 22nd.

There is a brand new three album bundle which is also discounted accordingly.

Link in bio.

13/09/2024

With warm electronics and thumping drums, the latest from the Australian drummer is the post-Covid requiem mass you’ve all been waiting for

11/09/2024

Week thirty-five of THE GREAT LEAF SALE – we apologise for the late running of this service. It’s worth the wait though, because we’ve hit the eponymous Melt Yourself Down debut album, so strap in for big saxophone riffs and unavoidable dancing.

Named after a track by the late, great James Chance, and released back in the summer of 2013, Melt Yourself Down is the sound of Cairo ‘57, Cologne ‘72, New York ‘78, London 2013 (and beyond?). North and south and east and west. Horns blowing, drums vibrating, a suffocating fever dream. Primal. Vital.

A list of the personnel involved in the record tells you a fair bit about where it sits in London’s recent musical renaissance - Pete Wareham, Kushal Gaya, Shabaka Hutchings, Tom Skinner, Ruth Goller, Satin Singh and Leafcutter John. They’d graduated through Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland and Zun Zun Egui, and would go on to form the likes of The Smile, The Comet Is Coming and Sons Of Kemet to name just a few. You could call MYD a ‘cultural node’, but that makes it seem less fun than it actually is.

Melt Yourself Down is discounted on CD and digital until September 15th. The 2CD special edition is also discounted, which includes the blistering Live At The New Empowering Church as are the various album bundles. Fill your boots in the bio.

06/09/2024

Laurence Pike - The Undreamt-of Centre out now

Music by
Featuring VOX Sydney Philharmonia Choir .philharmonia
Cover by

Releases 6 September 2024

Available on Forest Green vinyl LP, CD and digital

Link in bio